News

By MATTHEW LEE and ERIC TUCKER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and his national security team say the Trump administration tied their hands when it came to the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. The argument that President Donald Trump’s February 2020 deal with the Taliban set the stage for the weekend chaos that

By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s space agency plans to bring soil samples back from the Mars region ahead of the U.S. and Chinese missions now operating on Mars. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency plans to launch an explorer in 2024 to land on the moon Phobos to collect a small amount

By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer American gymnast Simone Biles says she wouldn’t change anything about her second Olympic experience. Biles exited five of the six finals at the Tokyo Games to focus on her mental health. Biles says it was a small sacrifice to make if it opens the door for others to realize

By MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The Rolling Stones are celebrating the 40th anniversary of their album “Tattoo You” with a remastered collection that includes nine previously unreleased tracks. The newly-remastered 11-track album is out on Oct. 22, including songs “Hang Fire,” “Waiting on a Friend” and the opening track, “Start

By The Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — No more break for Ed Sheeran. The British pop star announced Thursday that his upcoming studio album “Equals” will release on Oct. 29. He unveiled his 14-song track list, which includes his recently released single “Bad Habits.” Sheeran calls his new album “really personal.” He says his

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Toyota is scaling its production back 40%, affecting 14 auto assembly plants in Japan, as the surging coronavirus pandemic in Southeast Asia crimps parts supplies. Japan’s top automaker says production will halt completely next month at some plants and partly at others, affecting a wide range

By PAUL WISEMAN AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of people seeking unemployment benefits fell last week for a fourth straight time to a pandemic low, the latest sign that America’s job market is rebounding from the pandemic recession as employers boost hiring to meet a surge in consumer demand. The Labor Department

By ZEN SOO Associated Press SINGAPORE (AP) — Singapore will launch its first quarantine-free travel program for vaccinated people arriving from Germany and Brunei, and ease restrictions for visitors from Hong Kong and Macao as it seeks to reopen its borders after fully vaccinating over 75% of its population. Previously, only Singapore residents and those

By JOSH BOAK, HANNAH FINGERHUT and BEN FOX Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A significant majority of Americans doubt that the war in Afghanistan was worthwhile, even as they are more divided over President Joe Biden’s handling of foreign policy and national security. That’s according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for

By RANDA KRISS of NerdWallet Scammers and predatory lenders continue to try to take advantage of small businesses searching for COVID-19 recovery funding — especially with the end of the Paycheck Protection Program. To protect themselves from potential bad actors, business owners should watch out for financing sold exclusively on speed, as well as any